The Outsider
by the penholder
Summary: Robin suffers from amnesia, but will her recovery expose The Village to the outside world?
1. Robin

DISCLAIMER: The Village and all it's characters belong to the brilliant M. Night Shymalayan.Go M. Night! Whoo hoo! 

Robin woke up with a scream, coughing and gasping after almost succumbing to suffocation as her face had lain in the mud. She had been unconscious for some time, and where she was was still a mystery to her. Her head hurt, and she struggled up off the muddy ground. She pulled her dirty auburn locks out of her face, leaving muddy streaks across her freckled face. Once she was up, she swayed to the side, almost falling over.

Her eyes wheeled across her environment. There was a forest floor was covered with dead leaves, and there were trees everywhere. As far as her eyes could see were trees; gray, lifeless trees stripped by the winter weather. She shuddered suddenly, and then realized her whole body was numb. The only thing she felt was the pain and dizziness in her head, and the occasional taste of blood in her mouth. The dizziness made it near impossible to stand. Her actions had been so fast she had gotten ahead of herself. She now wondered where she was, and how she got here. Nothing came to mind. She closed her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. Nothing again. She looked down at her frozen hands covered with mud. She had to get somewhere safe, somewhere warm. Without much thought, she followed almost animal instincts and set foot forward on shaky legs. She shuddered with each step, tiring from the concentration she made towards not falling down. Each step she made carefully and slowly. The temperature was so cold; passing each tree was like a tiny goal. Robin did not get far, and after a particularly severe bout of dizziness and pain, she collapsed onto the wet forest floor.

Finton Coin jumped with a start. He stood up slowly, aware of the fact that he should have not been sleeping. He had a job to do; watching the forest for signs of Those We Do Not Speak Of. His eyes shifted around in the sudden confusion, and he looked to The Forbidden Line between the woods and the village. A sense of relief permeated him. No Creature was there. He wrapped his hood closely around his head and opened the hatch door to the watch tower where he sat. Nothing was there either. He sighed in relief, and slowly closed the hatch. "Finton, you mustn't let a bit of sleep get you so riled up about-" Finton gasped suddenly, dropping the hatch door down on the fingers of his hand. He yelped, quickly covering his mouth with his sleeve and pulling his fingers away. He could have sworn he had seen something on the ground! What was that he thought, his mind cluttering with a million spontaneous ideas. It wasn't moving, he thought suddenly, which gave him more of a reason not the ring the Warning Bell. Ring the Warning Bell if they are coming, Finton thought. But what he had seen wasn't Those We Do Not Speak Of. Finton put his injured fingers in his mouth and cautiously, hesitantly opened the hatch door. He closed his eyes and squeaked at the sight of it again, but only in fear. Once again he saw it wasn't moving, but one terrible detail was obvious. This thing was dressed in red. The Bad Color. And it was so dangerous near the Forbidden Line as well. He stared at it for a minute, and then came to a terrible realization. He had two choices: ring the Warning Bell, and send the entire village into as flurry of hysteria, or simply climb down the tower to investigate what it was himself. Finton closed his eyes again, whining silently about the choice he was going to make, and then slowly opened the hatch door all the way.

He climbed slowly down the ladder, fearing each step as he made his way closer to the thing. Be brave, Finton, and go see what it is, he thought. Finton stepped towards it, and it did not move. He made another step, and still it did not move. Each step he took, the shape of it became clearer. It was a person who was dressed in the bad color. Finton's fear turned to confusion as he kneeled beside the person. It was a girl, not younger or older than him. She was dressed unusually though. This girl wore trousers, black trousers covered with mud, and a shirt of the Bad Color. It also had a silver design on it, of a girl riding a horse. "Hollywood Cowgirl" it said in almost unreadable writing. She must be from another town, an evil one, named Hollywood, Finton thought. The girl had The Bad Color coming from her head as well in great amounts. Finton recognized it as blood, and touched her face. It was unbelievably cold. It then dawned on him that he must get help, help from Mr. Walker. He would know what to do. Having no choice but to leave the girl there, Finton ran as fast as he could to the village.


	2. Edward's Decision

"What is the meaning of us being gathered here?'' August Nicholson asked, standing in the living room of the Walker home, along with the rest of the Elders. Most of them had barely enough time to get their coats or put on appropriate apparel, for Finton's words has rushed them out of their own houses so quickly. "I'll have to agree with August," Ms. Clack said, hair pulled up in a wilted bun. Tabitha walked down a hallway, closing the doors to Ivy and Kitty's rooms. "Now just wait. If Finton's words are true, Edward should be back any moment now, to tell us what has happened," she said. "Tabitha, wouldn't Finton have mind to tell us what the emergency is?" Victor Crane asked. Tabitha searched for an answer, but shook her head, wondering why herself.

There came a knock at the door. Alice Hunt walked over, and cracked open the door, not knowing whether it was Finton again or Edward. "Good Lord! Edward!" Alice nearly shouted, and with that, she pushed open the door and led him in. Mr. Walker did walk in, carrying the poor girl Finton had found in his arms. Tabitha gasped, and the rest of the Elders were slightly taken aback. They too had never seen this girl before in their lives. "Tabitha, please take a clean sheet from the cupboard, and place it on the spare bed in Ivy's room. Victor needs to take a look at her," he said. Tabitha stared at him concernedly, but did what she was asked. "Edward, who is this girl you have brought?" Robert Percy asked. "Finton found her, Robert, at the bottom of the watch tower," Edward said, making his way down the hallway, the rest of the Elders following.

"Sshh," Tabitha said, smoothing a sheet over the spare bed, "we mustn't wake Ivy." Edward entered the room, taking no particular care in being quiet, the girl still limp and muddy in his arms. "She will have to be awoken," he said, and placed the girl on the mattress. She looked somewhat peaceful, but hurt all the same. The fire's light flickered on her pale face, which was spotted here and there with dried blood. Victor stood next to her, and touched her hand. "For one thing,'' he said, trying to keep his voice low, "she's chilled to the bone. She'll need some thick blankets right away, before she suffers hypothermia."

Ivy woke with a start. Tabitha turned to her, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Ivy get up, you need to get out of your room, please," she said. Ivy turned her head directly to where the others were standing, not hearing what her mother had just said. "Mother, who is that?" Ivy said, stifling a yawn, but still very alert. Tabitha looked at her confused for a moment, and then encouraged her to get up again. "Please, you must leave," Tabitha said. Ivy did not move. "Why, what's wrong? Father, why are you here? And why is Mrs. Clack here?" Ivy asked. " Something has happened, Ivy, and we need you to leave your room for a little while. When we ask you to come back, I promise I will tell you everything," Tabitha answered. Ivy did get up, and got reached for her cane at her bedside, and with her mother leading her out, left the room, but did not break her gaze from the girl on the bed until she was all the way out. Everyone focused their attention back to Victor, who was shining a penlight into one of the eyes of the girl. He let her be, and returned the tiny penlight in to his pocket. "The wound to her head has caused a severe concussion, and her eyes are barely dilating at all. I can only hope she has not suffered some sort of brain damage. She looks like she was hit on the head with some sort of large, blunt object several times," he said. Edward stood at the foot of the bed. "Are you certain? Do you mean that someone else has done this to her?" he asked. "Most likely. No fall could result in this bad of a head injury," Victor said, shaking his head in pity. Tabitha walked in with several blankets in hand. Edward stared at the girl, a grimace upon his face. The was a long silence, and Tabitha did no further, as she waited for her husband to speak. Everyone turned their attention to Edward, who looked as if he was deep in thought. Finally, after a minute, he spoke.

"We have no choice but to keep the girl here. We mustn't place her in the woods, because that would be of no good, and we mustn't let her out of this village. She _is _a threat to our existence, as you know, and sending her away would risk exposure of our way of life. Hopefully, no one was with this girl, and that she might have came upon us by herself,'' he said decisively, looking at the others. Everyone slowly but surely nodded. Alice did not nod however. "What will we tell the others? What will we tell the rest of this village?" she asked, staring Edward in the face. Edward looked back at her, not taking time to think it out properly. "We will tell them that she was found on the border of the woods, unconscious, and that she was not killed by Those We Do Not Speak Of because of the severity of her wounds, and that she will be living here with us, in Covington woods, now,'' he said.

And so with that agreement by the Elders, they returned to their homes, prepared to deal with the next day. Victor Crane did all he could do to help the girl with her head, for a concussion can not be bandaged. Tabitha and Alice took the liberty of cleaning the mud from her as best as possible, and changing her clothes to something more appropriate; one of Ivy's old dresses.

Ivy returned to her room as soon as her mother allowed her. She sat by the girl's bedside as her mother and Alice did. "She has come from the towns, Ivy. She will be staying with us for the time being," Tabitha said, her voice quiet, but still certain that the girl would not awaken soon. Ivy grasped her cane, looking down at the girl. "I take it that she is a stranger? You speak as though none of you know her. She wouldn't have arrived to us in such a terrible state if she was known by someone here," Ivy said, "It's almost exiting, having her here. I am most certain that she and I will be good friends. I wonder if she is awkward like me, and tomboyish too."

Tabitha and Alice exchanged glances. If this girl was from outside the village, then it would be best if her and Ivy or anyone in particular get to be too close. She would not be staying here for long. " Ivy, dear," Tabitha said, sitting down beside her, " it would be best if you not get attached to this new friend. She won't be staying here for long, she needs to return from where she belongs. Once she recovers, I am certain that your father will be having her on her way, for he fears the evil that exists beyond these woods." This thought made Tabitha fret. If this girl was to return, wouldn't she speak about the little village where she was found? They couldn't _kidnap _her; that would be wrong. And wouldn't she speak of what goes on from where she comes from? She was certain that Alice, who was more cautious than anything, was thinking the same thoughts as well.

"Oh well," Ivy spoke softly, the enthusiasm leaving her voice, " I will have to at least learn her name, and make her feel welcome here for the time being."


End file.
